Types of Zeiss STERITAR B (813) for Contaflex Super BC

Here is another picture clearly showing the back of the last Steritar B (813) that I bought and that I cannot use in my Contaflex Super BC.

I just checked out your lens, and I got this on Google. I hope it helps. I'm not sure your Contaflex Super BC has the same mount as a Contaflex III. (link)

I have the Steritar B for my Contaflex super and it looks the same as the one you show.

It should mount in the same way as the other lenses. The 50mm is removed and the new lens is mounted. The red dot on the lens is lined up with the red dot on the lnes release tab on the camera and the lens rotated 1/4 turn to the right until it locks.

The dot on the Steritar can be hard to find. It is located on the outer chorome ring of the mount at (roughly) 4 o'clock.

I hope this is helpful.

I've been actively looking for a Steritar B for my Contaflex S for nearly 30 years. Good luck on your search. I believe that there were different bayonet mounts for the Tessar and the Novar(?) lens which was fitted to less expensive Contaflex's. That's probably what you've got.

Thanks for the info Bill. The lens for the cheaper contaflex was the Plantar, and I think that it had something to do with Eastern Germany, but not sure. Anyway, I knew the website I have been sugested here. It is info from 1958 when the Contaflex Super, Super BC and S did not exits. The Tessar lens was recalculated as from the Contaflex Super. I do not know if that has something to with this issue. The Steritar I have now seems the same as the one shown in the website for the Contaflex III and IV, when Zeiss changed of bayonet mount. I always though that the mount did not change with the recalculation of the Tessar. Still not much luck, but thanks for the help so far.

Meryl, thanks for your help too. I tried that but it did not work. How did you get your Steritar? Which model number is it? Is there any chrome or bronze in the mount? I noticed that the mount of the new Tessar lens has some bronze.

Hola Fernando, espero que hables espa�ol, te cuento que soy un coleccionista de Contaflex, tengo un steritar 813, que es el que estas manifestando con problemas, es normal que estos con el paso del tiempo tengan un corrimiento en la montura, me refieron a que el elemento trasero se desplaza hacia el interior y esto impide el correcto montaje. Para que tengas en cuenta este modelo va en los modelos que indica en el manual, entre estos tambien figuran Super, Super B y Super BC... el arreglo no es costoso pero si es preciso que lo realice alguien con esperiencia. NO permitas que te modifiquen la montura de la camara. Saludos Fernando

Hello Fernando. Yes, I do speak Spanish, which is my mother tongue. I am from Cadiz (Spain), but have been living abroad for the last 13 years. However, I will write you in English for the benefit of everybody if that is OK. Thanks a lot for the explanation about the problem, now I just need to find someone who can do the job. I recently came back to Brussels (Belgium) where it is impossible to fine a good repairer. before I lived in Scotland for three years. In Scotland and England there are a lot of repairers and they are very good, but Belgium is a dessert when it comes to film photography. I am coming back to Madrid (Spain) for Christmas, which is where my parents live now. Could you please reccomend me a good repairer in Spain (if possible in Madrid) who could do this work? If you do not know anyone in Madrid, I am happy to ship the lens to another Spanish town.

Hey guys dig this, Zeiss Ikon changed the contaflex f2.8 50mm Synchro Compur base lens some time between march 1963 and november 1965. What they did was changed the diameter just above the bayonet mount from 1.114" dia to 1.108" dia and renamed it the Synchro Compur X. some where between alpha serial D and F in the Super B series of cameras so being that the Super BC came later it is no wonder it does not fit. I found this out the hard way. About 2 years ago I posted some questions about steritars and got a very good response from member Meryl Arbing? (I hope I spelled that right) and she offered some places she had found her lens at and a couple others, I looked long and hard to find it, When I finally got it it did not fit because of what I mentioned above. Ok now check this out Listed in the original Contaflex Super catalog from 1959 (I believe around pg #18 it actually shows a "Near Steritar" for close up stereo pics .2-2.5 meter focal length, I also found one of these and it also does not fit. When I contacted Charles Barringer one of the authors of the Zeiss Compendium I explained what I found. He since has turned me over to one of his lens guru Zeiss buddies and we are currently trying to find out exactly when this change happened. So let's ask some questions Does anybody have a Steritar that fits a contaflex on a camera with the serial # starting after the letter D, I personally do not think this is possible and believe that when the company started having financial trouble they gave up manufacturing Steritars around this time. Trust me when I say that it is not you at fault here, have whoever is selling you the lens measure the diameter above the bayonet mount (should be 1.108"), If you find one please let me know. The lens guru's for the Zeiss Historical Society would love to hear about that one. Thanks Bobby May Bob_May_4@msn.com

The Steritar B was made for the Contaflex Super type I, Contaflex III and IV, and Contaflex Rapid. The Contaflexes after that, did not have a Steritar made for them. You cannot use the steritar 813 on the Super type II, BC, Contaflex S, etc. All Contaflex cameras made after the Super Type I, used reformulated lenses, including rare earth glass. The bayonette mounts of all the front elements, with the later reformulated lenses will not fit the older Contaflex cameras. Since the Steritar B has a built in front element lens in the steritar, it will only work with the older lens formulations, and will not work with any Contaflex made after the Contaflex Super type I. In other words, you cannot mix old lens formulations, with newer lens formulations.

Sincerely,

Tom

Tom, thank you very much for your very helpful info. That finishes my research for a Steritar for my Contaflex Super BC. I understand from your post that there were no Steritars available for the Contaflexes with the new reformulated Tessars (the Super BC and the Contaflex S).

Ah ha! So THAT's why I haven't been able to get one in 30+ years of looking. There's one on ebay right now that I had my eye on. Glad that I won't be wasting the money to find out that it doesn't work. Thanks.

This steritar issue is not quite all correct in the fact that some of the Steritar B's do fit some of the early Contaflex Super B cameras, And I know this for a fact, I happen to have one So I contest that what I posted months ago still stands The change of the recomputed Pro Tessar bayonet mount still holds some mystery as to when journal diameters where updated And recently I removed a silkscreened DOF strip from a front element What I found was that this strip was silkscreened once before on the back side incorrectly and crooked, It was flipped over and done again and then installed on my camera, The time and quality of work spent making Contaflickers is in no way to the spec's that are seen in the Contarex and Contax lines of cameras but then again it didn't cost as much either, And it makes me wonder when the Toonyville Trolley pulled into Zeiss plants to drop off certain employees

Bobby

Although this discussion ended in August I would like to reopen it with a related question. It concerns the position of the 'stereo window'. This is the window formed by the edges of the image. Its position (distance from the camera) depends on the focal length of the lens and on the toe-in angle of the prism. Different makes of beam splitters have slightly different toe-in angles but all are about 10 degrees. On the Stitz beam splitter it is adjustable.

Do the various Steritars all use the same prism 9with the same toe-in angle)?

When I use my Steritar 812 on a 50mm lens I get a stereo 'window' that is located about 40cm from the camera. This is to be expected with a prism that is designed for a 45mm lens (as the 812 is). I use this Steritar for 'close up' pictures. For more distant ones I use the Zeiss jena stereo attachment which puts the stereo window at about 2 metres from the camera with a 50mm lens.

if I obtained a Steritar 814 for example, would it be designed for a 50mm lens or is the prism itself the same as in the 812?

best regards,

Robert